Entrainment gearing



June 21, 1927.

J. F. MADDEN ENTRAINMENT GEARING Filed Aim. 25, 1925 INVENTOR J'anzas' 1? M10.

ATTORNEYS with the driven gear in consequence'of r f tation orcessation of rotation of the driving at I) Patented June 21, 1927.

uuirso STA'LES JAMES r. MADDEN, or BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA.

ENTRAINMEN T GEARING.

Application filed'August 25, 1925. Serial No. 52,260.

My invention relates to gearing, and more particularly to gearing of the connect-ible and disconnectible tumbler type, and it has for an object to provide apparatus of this character which shall operate automatically to connect and to disconnect the tumbler gear gear in a given direction.

. In the application of auxiliary engines to the trucks of railway vehicles, for example. to tender trucks of locomotives, it has heretofore been proposed to have the driving shaft of such a motor or engine provided with a driving gear constantly in mesh with a tumbler gear, the latter gear being adapted to move to meshed and to demeshed positions with respect to a driven gear carried by a load-bearing axle. This general type of gearing is particularly suitable for this purpose; and two diiferent systems have been proposed for securing the necessary shifting of the tumbler gear, the first system being one depending upon elastic fluid being admitted to an operating cylinder to secure the necessary shifting of the tumbler incident to energization of the driving motor or engine, and the second arrangement being where the tumbler gear automatically moves tomeshed and to demeshed positions. in consequence of r the motor or engine being rendered effective and ineifective, My invention relates to a mechanism of the latter type; and it has for an object to provide a rocker gear element pivotally connected to a resilient supporting member and having resilient means to maintain the rocker member in a predetermined angular position with respect to the supporting means, the rocker member having teeth arranged at different radial distances from its, axis and tie tooth of minimum radialdistance being adapted to engage between teeth of the tumbler when the latter is in its demeshed position.

A further object of my invention is to provide apparatus of the character referred to wherein dampening means shall be employed to check the movement of the tumbler and its carrier in a demeshing direction in order to avoid unnecessary clashing of the teeth of the tumbler with the toothed rocker member or possible tendency of the latter to cause the tumbler to again move in a meshing direction. Y

hese and other objects are eifected by my invention as will appear from the following specification and accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which: Fig.1 isa plan view of apparatus having my invention applied thereto;

.Fig. 2 is a: fragmentary sectional view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail,'I show a casing or frame 10, which may be a frame carried by the truck of a rail way vehicle, having bearings 11 and 12 for drivin and driven shafts 13, and 14, re spectively, the driving shaft 13 preferably being the driven shaft of a motor or engine (not shown) and the driven shaft prefer ably being a load-bearing axle of a truck of a railway vehicle. I

he driving shaIt 13 has adriving gear 14 has a driven gear 16 secured thereto. .A tumbler gear 17 is maintained constantly in 15 mounted thereonand the shaft or member mesh with the driving'gear 15 by means of a'. suitable carrier 18, the carrier 18 confining motion of the tumbler gear 17 to meshed and demeshed positions with respect to the driven gear 16'.

In order that the tumbler gear 17 maybe translated to a meshing position with the driven gear 16 wholly in consequenceof turning of the driving gear 15 in a given direction, for example, clockwise as shownin the drawings, it isnecessary that some means be provided to restrain free spinning motion thereof. To this end, I provide rocker member 20 having teeth 21 and 22 arranged at different radial distances from the axis of its pivot 23. When the tumbler gear and its carrier occupy the demeshed position, the tooth 21 of minimum distance from the axis of the pivot 28 isfengaged between teeth of the tumbler gear, the other tooth 22 of greater radial distance from the axis 23 being entirely out of mesh with the tumbler gear or only slightly engaging between teeth'thereof.

When the driving gearl5 is turned in a clockwise direction, the tumbler gear 17 is loo turned'in a counter-clockwise direction; and

the eiiect of the engagementof the tooth 2 1.

with the tumbler gear, when the latter is turned in this manner,is to cause the rocker member to tilt downwardly about its pivot 23, with the result that the point of engage-- ment of the tooth 21 with respect to the tumbler is loweredand the tumblenand its carrier are consequently thrust in a meshing direction. After this motion of the tumbler gear and of therocker 20 has continued to a the tumbler gear causes the latter to react on" the tooth 22 of the rocker member and to complete its movement in a meshing direction.

As shown in the drawings, the rocker member 20 is provided with a single pair of teeth. For the design shown this number of teeth has been found to be satisfactory; however, it will be understood that any suitable number of teeth may be used dependent upon circumstances. As illustrated, the teeth 21 and-. 22 are arranged as internal teeth of a segment of a suitable curve, for example, an ellipse; and the pitch curve of these teeth is so disposed with respect to the pivot axis23 that, when the tumbler gear is in demeshedposition. and engages the tooth 21, such pitch curve of the teeth of the rocker defines with the pitch circle of the tumbler a downwardly-extonding cusp. The action of the rociter' in securing translatory motion of the tumbler gear into mesh with the driven gear is somewhat complex. Such rocker seems to operate somewhat as a toggle and as a rack to utilize a part of the rotary motion ot the tumbler gear to secure translation of the latter in a meshing direction. With the rocker member 2O in the position shown in Fig. 1 and with the tumbler gear in demeshed position and engaging the tooth 21, it will be apparent that counter-clockwise rotation of the tumbler gear will .se the rocker member 20 to tilt in a clockwise direction and that the tooth 21 and the engaging teeth of the tumbler gear will define connecting elements of a toggle which is straightened out upon motion of these parts in these directions with the result that the tumbler and its carrier are thrust toward the driven gear 16. Not only does this toggle action come into play for this purpose, but doubtless the translatory action is assisted by the raclt-and-pinion action of the tumbler with respect to the tooth 21. After the rocker 20 is tilted in a clockwise direction to a predetermined extent. and the tumbler and its carrier have moved in a meshing direction to a corresponding extent, the tooth 22 0;. the rocker engages with the tumbler for completing the positive translation of the tumbler into mesh.- ing relation with respect to the driven gear 16. In operation, it would seem that the tooth 22 acts more after the mannerof a rack tooth to secure the translatory efiect.

.Tl1e roclrer member 20 is so designed and the" gears are so disposed that, when the tumbler gear is ttllilQCl in acounter-cloeliwise directiomthe lattergear anditscart r will be p si e y t ans t d i a mes in direction clue to coaction of the teeth tween; tumbler teeth until the latter starts to enter spaces between teeth of the driven gear 16; however, it is to be understood that the carrier and the tumbler gear are sutii. ciently massive to resist forces of spring means, hereinafter described, so that the tumbler gear mightbe entirely disengaged from the teeth of the rocker member 20 betore the teeth oisuch tumbler are engaged with the driven gear 16, in other worus, inertia of the tumbler gear and its carrier may be suffici-ent to cause the parts tojump between the rocker and the driven gear. This will be apparent when the relative disposition and directions of rotation oi the gears are considered.

Since the eli ect of a 3 31*ing oower to the .l a i driving gear 15 to move the latter in a clockwise direction is to maintain the term bler gear 17 forcibly in mesh with the driven gear after the meshing relation of the latteris initially established, it is necessary to provide a means to prevent crowding in oi the ubler 17 with respect to the driven gear 16 in order that the latter may engage properly with their pitch circles substantially tangent. To this end, I show a suitable stop 2s. carried by the frame or support 10 and which is adapted to ceact with a projection or c carried by the frame 18, the projection coming in contact with the stop 2% to limit inward movement of the tumbler with re spect to the driven gear.

As already pointed'out, the ellect of turr ing the tumbler gear in a. counter-clockwise direction is to cause the rocker member 20 to turn in a clockwise direction during the translation of thetuinbler gear; and, after release of the rocker 20 from the tumbler gear, it is necessary that the normal position of such rocker shall be restored. To tiis end, I show a tension device 26 oi any suitable type cooperating with rod 2? pivotally connected at 28 with r siect to the rocker 20 and above the axis of the pivot 23. The tension device acts to pull the rocker member 20 upwardly until the abut ment surface 29 thereof comes in contact with an abutment and supporting member 30. it will be noted that the rocker member has a lower abutment surface 30 which is disposed at an angle to the surta e 29 so as to permit of the hing-ing motion of the rocker member 20 about the axis 23 and with respect to the abutment and supporting member 30. I

llh'e abutment supportingmemb'er 30 is preferably carried by a suitable tube .or

barrel 81 connected to the support or frame and spring means 32 are interposed between abutment means 33 at'the outer end of the barrel'31 and a suitable collar 34 engaging the abutment and supporting member 30.

34, the spring means 32, and beyond the abutment 33 and having a nut 36 threaded thereto, the nut 36 constituting I an abutment elementto abut against the outer end of the abutment 33 to limit upward movement of the supporting member. It will be apparentthat the position of the supporting member 30 depends upon adjustment of the nut member 36. V i

The abutment member 33 has a threaded connection 37 with respect to the sleeve member 31, whereby such abutment may be turned, not only to vary tension of the sprin means 32 but also to vary the position of the supporting member 30.

The purpose of the yieldable support-just described for the rocker member is to take care of the condition when tumbler teeth shall abut end to end with the driven gear teeth.

Under such circumstances, it will be apparent that translatory motion ofthe tumbler would be interrupted and the effect of continued tilting action of the rocker 20 would be to apply a powerful reaction against the axis 23; and, if the rocker 20 was fixedly mounted to the frame, there would be danger of breakage ofparts. Therefore, I provide the spring or tension means just referred to for supporting the rocker member 20, so that, if the tips of-tumblcr teeth should abut the tips of driven gear teeth, the effect of continued angular motion of the rocker about its pivot 23 would be merely to push the supporting member downwardly,

thereby compressing the spring means. Just as soon as the tumbler gear should be rotated slightly further so that the tips of its teeth would slide off the tips of the driven gear teeth and register with spaces between the latter, the compression already effectedin the spring means would cause the latter to act upon the rocker member to quickly move the tumbler teeth into initial engagement.

If the driving gear 15-ceases to be a source of power for the driven gear 16 and the latter gear continues to rotate, as would be the case where that gear is secured to a loadbearing axle of a railway vehicle, such continued motion of the gear. 16 has a tendency to kick thetumblerfgear 17 out of mesh. This natural tendency is assisted by a spring 39 having one end abutting against thesupport 10 and the other end abutting against the rocker member 18, this spring being so arranged that its tension is effective normally to tilt the frame 18 away from the driven gear to demesh the tumbler therefrom. As shown in'Fig. 2, the'upper end of the spring 39 is arranged about a suitable anchor 40 carried by the supporting frame 10 and the other endjof the spring surrounds a movable anchor member 41 hinged at'42 with respect to the lower bridging portion 43 of the carrier 18. I With the apparatus so far described, it is conceivable that the tumbler gear 17 might be disengagedfrom' the driven gear 16 while the driving gear 15 and such tumbler gear are still rotating. This may be due to the inertia of moving parts or perhaps, after cut off, to residual elastic fluid in the driviug motor. Such continued rotation of these gears may, dueto coaction of the tumbler gear 17. with the teeth 21 and 22 of the rock er, tend to cause the tumbler and its carrier to move in a meshing direction; and, in order to avoid this possibility, I provide dampening means to check the rate of movement ofthe carrier 18 in a demeshing direction in order to assure that, when the tumbler gear reaches its normal demeshed positionwith the teeth thereof engaging the tooth 21 of the rocker, rotation of the driving gear and of the tumbler gear will be sufficiently checked to avoid any tendency to meshing of the gearing. To thisend, Ishow a dashpot cylinder 44 carried by the frame 10 and having a piston 45 arranged therein, the piston 45 being pivotally'connected to a link 46, which, in turn, is pivotally connected to the bridging portion 43 of the frame 18. The cylinder is provided withan inlet check valve 1 47, whereby, on outward motion of the p'iston 45, the eXpansible chamber may be quick ly filled with any suitable liquid coming from the supply chamber 48. Upon inward movement of the piston 45, corresponding to demeshing movement of the tumbler and carrier, the valve 47;closesand expulsion of fluid from the cylinder to the supply chamber 48 is confined to'the bleeder opening 50. The necessary slow rate of fiowth'rough the passage 50, assures that spinning ofthe tumbler may cease or be sufficiently retarded to avoid anyvmeshing tendency. Althougln'in F practice, the sizes of the bleeder passages would be standardized to secure the desired effect, yet I show a needle valve 51 for the purpose of regulating the rate of discharge. A'vent 52 is carried by the upper port-ion of the chamber 48. v V

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, a that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as ,areimposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

to the driven gear, a rocker member having teeththereon at dif erent radial distances from the axis of the rocker and the tooth thereof spaced a minimum distance fromsuch' axis being adapted to engage, between teeth ofthe tumbler gear when the latter is in its demeshed position, andresilient means for supporting the rocker member.

, 2. In gearing mechanism, the combination of a driving gear, a driven-gear, a tumbler gear constantly in mesh with the driving gear, a carrier for the tumbler gear torconfining translatory motion of the latter to meshed anddemeshed positions with respect to the driven gear, and a rocker member having a plurality of teeth arranged as an internal gear segment, said teeth being arranged at different radial distances from the axis of the rocker member and the tooth spaced a minimum distance from such axis being adapted to engage the tumbler gear when the latter is in its demeshed position. In'gearing mechanism, the combination of a driving gear, a driven gear, a tumbler gear constantly in mesh with the driving gear, a. carrier for the tumbler gear for confining translatory motion of the latter to meshed and demeshed positions with respect to the driven gear, a rocker member having a plurality of teeth arranged as an internal gear segment, said teeth being disposed at. different radial distances from theaxis of the rocker n ember and the tooth spaced a minimum distance from such axis being adapted to engage the tumbler gear when the latter is in its demeshed position, and resilientmeans for supporting the rocker member. p

4-. In gearing mechanism, the combination of a driving gear, a driven gear, a tumbler. gear constantly in mesh with the driving gear, a carrier for the tumbler gear for con lining translatory motion of the latter to meshed and demeshed positions, with respect to the driven gear, a rocker member having teeththereon disposed at different radial distances from its axis and the tooth spaced a minimum distance from such axis being adapted to engage between teeth of the tumbler gear when the latter is in its demeshed position, resilient means for supporting the rocker member, and resilient means for, resisting. tilting of the rocker member toward thetumbler gear.

5. In gearing mechanism, the combination of a driving gear, a driven gear, a tumbler gear constantly in mesh with the driving gear, a carrier for the tumbler gear for confining translatory motion of the latter to,.

meshed and demeshed positions with. respect to the driven'gear, a rocker member having teeth thereon disposed at diiterent "radial" distances from its axis and the tooth spaced. a minimum distance from such axis being; adapted to engage between. teeth of the turnbler gear when the latter is in its demeshed position, and resilient means for resisting i driven gear, means cooperating with its tu bier gear to secure translatory moveing. gear. is turned in one direction, continuously acting biasing meanst'or moving the carrier and the tumbler gear in a denies iing directiom and means for checking motion of the carrier due to the biasing means. ii

7.1a gearing mechanism, the combination of a driving gcar, a drivengear, a tumbler gear constantly in mesh with the driving hear, a carrier for the tumbler gear for confining translator-y movementof the latter to nicshedand demeshed positions with respect to the driven gear, means cooperating with the tumbler gear to secure translator-y mov e ment thereof in a meshing direction when the driving gear is turned inone direction, continuously acting spring means cooperating with the carrier and continuously tending to tilt the latter away from the driven gear, and means for dampening motion of the carrier in response to saidspring means.

8. In gearing mechanism, the combination or" a driving gear, a driven gear, a tumbler gear constantly in mesh with the driving gear, a carrier for the tumbler gearfor confining translatory movement of the latter to meshed and demeshed positions withrespect to the driven gear, means cooperating with the tumbler gear to secure tran'slatory movement thereof in a meshing direction when the driving gear i turned one direction, a spring normally tending to tilt the frame away from the driven gear, and dashpot means for resisting such tilting movement of the frame. 7

9. In gearing mechanism, the combination of a driving gear, a driven gear, a tumbler gear constantly in niesh, with the driving gear, a carrier for the tumbler gear for con fining translatory moyement'thereot to meshed and'demes'hed positions with respect to the driven gear, a roclrer nembe r having teeth disposed at different, radial distances meshed and demeshed positions with respect thereof in ,a meshing directionwhen from its aXis and the tooth at a minimum radial distance being adapted to be engaged between teeth of the tumbler gear When the latter is in its demeshed position, resilient means for resisting tilting motion of the rocker about its axis and toward the tumbler gear While the latter is being translated in a meshing direction and to restore the rocker to a normal position after it is released from the tumbler gear, resilient supporting means for the rocker, spring means cooperating with the carrier and tending to move the latter away. from the driven gear to demesh the tumbler therefrom, and dampening means for checking such motion of the carrier.

In testimony whereof I hereunto alfix my signature this 5th day of August, 1925.

JAMES P. MADDEN. 

